Review: Tengoku Daimakyo Episode 12

This week’s episode of Tengoku Daimakyo was a harrowing, but visually beautiful experience. Kiruko and Robin finally reunite, Maru experiences solitude and the nursery is hit by a disaster. The season finale is next week and there are still so many questions to be answered.

First off – the nursery. Mina’s plan is fully underway, Tokio is missing and Mimihime makes it outside. Something did fall, as she prophesized in one of the previous episodes, it’s just that nobody is sure what it was. Sawatari is freaking out because he mixed up the babies, further solidifying the theory about one of the babies being a clone. The biggest surprise, for me, was the Director. I did not expect her to get up and start running.

It seems that, at last, Kiruko and Maru made it to Takehara Academy. But before that, Kiruko decides to meet up with Robin. Upon seeing Kiruko, Robin freaks out. We never really saw Kiriko and Robin interact, but some glares might have been exchanged, almost as if she didn’t approve of the influence he had on her brother. Manga readers knew what was coming (and made sure that everyone else did too) but that didn’t make the assault scene any easier to watch. I have to praise the symbolic scenes strewn throughout the episode. Kiruko’s feelings were visible to everyone: hope, joy at the thought of reunification with family, and at last complete betrayal. For Haruki, there is also an extra dimension: he failed to protect his sister. I hope Kiruko reunites with Maru soon and a part of me also hopes that Maru will be angry enough to use his powers on Robin.

It’s interesting to note that the two main events (Mimihime and Shiro going outside and Robin and Kiruko) are shown concurrently, leading us to believe that once again they are happening at the same time. But when the children make it outside it is a sunny, warm day, while Kiruko’s assault is happening during the night. It’s now basically confirmed that these stories are not taking place in the same time era. I’m not sure what it is with tomatoes and anime these days, but we can see the tomatoes inside the garden becoming ripe – perhaps indicating that it’s time for children to go outside of the outside and become free of the shackles imposed by the Director and other adults. Robin mentions a garden that was once in the place of the water plant, but we don’t know if he’s hiding more information. With only one episode left this season, I can see Tengoku Daimakyo becoming a new Made in Abyss and leaving thousands of fans to eagerly await a sequel.

Episode 12 of Tengoku Daimakyo is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
© Tengoku Daimakyo Production Committee